Nagpur: Even as online gambling and betting app operator Ananth Jain alias Sontu is engaged in a game of hide and seek with the city police, a public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed regarding the issues of his alleged crimes.
This is possibly the first PIL on online betting and gambling apps, their effects on gullible individuals and the society at large.
Multiple police teams are in different parts of the country with cyber experts tracing mobile phone tower locations, calls, messages and chats. Meanwhile, legal experts are gearing up to argue the PIL filed by Gondia-based NGO Aaj. It argues that youths are falling victims to advertisements of gaming apps, which are doctored by the software coders.
Counsel Shreerang Bhandarkar, along with advocate Sejal Lakhani, will represent the NGO, which has filed the PIL through Akash Katre. “The PIL revolves around the fact that impressionable youths are falling victim to digital gaming and betting apps, which not only takes a toll on them but also the entire family, and by extension the society,” said Bhandarkar, who had also assisted the prosecution in the Sontu case, ensuring his bail plea was rejected.
Bhandarkar further said huge monetary transactions are involved in each of these gambling and betting apps, all channelled to foreign countries. “Most gambling and betting apps work from foreign countries, where the money lost or won is ultimately going. Such money may even be used in terrorism or international drug mafia or weapon trafficking,” said the senior counsel.
The PIL has sought orders from the court to set up, enhance, boost and strengthen systems and mechanisms for acting against online gambling apps and digital intermediaries. It also has sought intervention to ensure advertisements are monitored, controlled and censored with disclaimers about the gambling and betting apps.
Sontu, the alleged operator of international gaming app diamondexchange.com, was booked for duping businessman Vikrant Agrawal of Rs 58 crore.
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The police in Nagpur are struggling to obtain key information from Anant Jain, who is accused of duping a complainant of 58 crore rupees through a manipulative app and website. Jain’s evasive and incomplete responses have slowed down the investigation, and the police are considering engaging a forensic audit team to trace the money trail. Meanwhile, the app and website continue to operate, allowing betting on the India-Australia cricket series. Jain’s alleged mentor and contacts also need to be investigated further.
Anant Jain, also known as Sontu, has managed to flee Nagpur after his bail application was rejected in an online gaming racket case. Police have cracked the Whatsapp chats between Sontu and traders, revealing his involvement in duping people through online gambling. The investigation team is now trying to determine who provided Sontu with a vehicle. Despite being protected by the court, Sontu is evading police investigation into the electronic gadgets he used. The income tax department plans to ask the police to hand over the cash and valuables seized during raids. The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has rejected Sontu’s anticipatory bail plea, stating that custodial interrogation is necessary.
Anant Jain, also known as Sontu Gondia, has requested an additional 15 minutes to argue in favor of his bail plea before the verdict is delivered. The city police investigation team has uncovered details of 55 tenancy accounts that Sontu had used for gambling transactions. The police have traced the monetary trails of 13 accounts and identified 42 more. Sontu is accused of duping a businessman of Rs 58 crore through a betting and gambling app. The income tax department plans to ask the police to hand over seized cash and valuables.